The Drink That Gives the Gift of Verse
The Mead of Poetry is a powerful, magical drink in Norse mythology that grants wisdom and the gift of inspired poetry to those who taste it. It explains why some poets and storytellers are said to be “touched” by divine inspiration, while others stumble and produce clumsy verse.
The mead was created from the blood of the wise being Kvasir, mixed with honey, and stored in three vessels: Óðrerir, Boðn, and Són. After a chain of betrayals and killings, it came into the possession of the giant Suttungr, who hid it in a mountain and set his daughter Gunnlöð to guard it.
Odin, driven by hunger for wisdom and power, undertakes a daring quest to steal the mead from the giants. His journey involves shapeshifting, deception, and seduction, and ends with the mead being brought to the gods – and, in diluted form, to gifted poets and skalds in Midgard.
Key Events in the Tale
Kvasir's Blood and the Brewing of the Mead
After a truce between the Æsir and Vanir, they spit into a vat and create Kvasir, the wisest of beings. Two dwarves, Fjalar and Galar, murder Kvasir and brew his blood with honey, creating a magical mead that grants wisdom and poetic skill to anyone who drinks it.
Suttungr Claims the Mead
The dwarves later anger the giant Suttungr, who forces them to hand over the mead as compensation. He hides it inside the mountain Hnitbjörg and tasks his daughter Gunnlöð with guarding the three vessels that hold it: Óðrerir, Boðn, and Són.
Odin the Wanderer: Bölverkr's Bargain
Odin, disguised under the name Bölverkr ("Evil-Doer"), works for Suttungr's brother Baugi in exchange for a chance at the mead. After fulfilling a harsh labor contract, Odin persuades Baugi to help him reach Hnitbjörg, drilling a tunnel into the mountain.
Gunnlöð and the Three Drinks
Inside the mountain, Odin wins the trust and love of Gunnlöð, spending three nights with her. In return, she allows him three drinks of the mead – but with each drink, Odin drains one entire vessel, swallowing all the Mead of Poetry himself.
Odin's Escape and the Gifts of Poetry
Odin transforms into an eagle and flies toward Asgard with the mead in his belly, pursued by Suttungr in eagle form. The gods prepare vats in Asgard; Odin spits the mead into them, reserving the best portion for the Æsir and chosen poets. Some of the mead spills behind him, becoming the "poetaster's share" – the source of clumsy, foolish verse.
Major Figures in the Tale
Odin
The Allfather, god of wisdom, war, and poetry. His theft of the mead shows his relentless pursuit of knowledge, even through deceit, seduction, and shape-changing.
Kvasir
A being created from the united spittle of Æsir and Vanir, Kvasir is so wise that he can answer any question. His murder and transformation into mead link wisdom, sacrifice, and poetic inspiration.
Suttungr & Gunnlöð
Suttungr is the giant who guards the mead through fear and threats, while Gunnlöð protects it with loyalty and love. Both show different ways of holding onto power and wisdom.
Fjalar & Galar
The murderous dwarves whose treachery creates the mead in the first place. Through them, the story links craftsmanship, violence, and the dangerous power of inspired speech.
Sources and Related Tales
The Mead of Poetry story is told primarily in the Prose Edda, especially in Skáldskaparmál, where it serves to explain many poetic kennings and the divine origin of skaldic inspiration. Hints and references also appear across other Eddic texts.
Odin
Discover more of Odin's quests for wisdom, including his sacrifice on Yggdrasil and the well of Mímir.
Kvasir
Learn about the wisest being whose blood became the source of all poetic inspiration.
Ragnarök
See how Odin's hunger for knowledge prepares him for the final doom of gods and worlds.
Poetry & Kennings
Explore how the Mead of Poetry shapes Norse ideas of language, metaphor, and sacred speech.
Quick Facts
The Mead Itself
Origin: Brewed from Kvasir's blood and honey by the dwarves Fjalar and Galar.
Vessels: Stored in three containers named Óðrerir, Boðn, and Són.
Effects: Grants the drinker wisdom, eloquence, and the power to compose inspired verse.
Poetaster's Share: The spilled portion becomes the source of bad, clumsy poetry.
Themes & Symbolism
Inspiration as a Gift: True poetic skill is seen as something bestowed from beyond, not merely learned.
Wisdom and Sacrifice: Kvasir's death and Odin's risks show that knowledge often has a bloody or painful price.
Deceit and Divine Right: Odin uses trickery and seduction, yet the story treats the mead as ultimately belonging with the gods and worthy poets.
Poetic Inspiration
In Norse culture, a gifted skald was often described as having "drunk of Odin's mead." The tale of the Mead of Poetry turns creativity itself into something mythic, magical, and slightly dangerous.